Etched in Stone
by LadyLionheart
Summary: A glimpse into the life of Stone Hopper before and after the movie. Stone/OC
1. Chapter 1

Amanda smiled a little as she looked at the man laying next to her, still panting with the workout they'd just had, sweat glistening over well honed muscles. Shifting a little she laid on her side, her head pillowed on his arm as looked over at him."You look very concerned for a man who'd just had sex."She muttered, the light teasing hiding the concern.

Stone Hopper sighed as he closed his eyes, shifting his head a little, pressing a kiss to her forehead."I'm always serious."He muttered, not ready to go into what was really bothering him.

Amanda frowned as she considered her oh so serious navy commander, sitting up on her elbows to gently brush blond hair out of his face, that despite the short military cut, still managed to look sexily mussed."Having second thoughts?"She asked after a moment, worry darkening her eyes.

"No."Stone's eyes flashed a little with annoyance, emotion showing through the usual calm. Even if he could be open and friendly at times, it was more his nature to be quiet and thoughtful, which made him a perfect balance for his brother, and made this…impulsiveness even more out of character. After all, he wouldn't put it past Hopper to suddenly show up married, but Stone? Yea…Hopper was going to kill him. Looking at the girl he'd loved for more years then he'd been in the navy the 36 year old sighed softly, "No, I'm not."

Amanda frowned as she studied his face, gently playing with his hair, shivering as he pressed a kiss to her wrist."Then what's wrong?"

Stone smiled a little, trying to relax."I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to hopper. He knows I haven't seen you in years."He muttered blushing slightly, because that was the only thing that really embarrassed him about this. That he'd come home for a class reunion, and was going back to base married. Definitely not something he wanted to tell Hopper when he was trying to convince the man that impulsiveness just led to trouble.

Amanda studied the man as he closed his eyes. He was right, it'd been nearly…16 years actually. And she knew Stone was still confused why she'd walked away from him, but after a evening spent in his company, she knew she hadn't made the right choice in leaving all those years ago. She'd been 19, pregnant and scared to tell him. He'd just enlisted, and she knew he would have rather walked away from what was a promising career to be with her, because they'd discussed him leaving the military in a few years, starting a family. She hadn't known what to do, so she asked his mother for advice.

And she'd walked away, from the man she'd loved, for his sake. Because his mother had told her to leave him alone, let him find someone who truly deserved him instead of a trailer trash whore. The words from a woman who's table she'd sat at for countless dinners had hurt her so badly that by the time she'd returned to talk to Stone, he'd already left. And when she miscarried, she had been in to much pain and at a loss to reach out to the one person who would have understood. While she'd never told him what had caused her to walk away, she knew he was curious, but after so long apart they were taking it slow…..well, as slow as one could after getting drunk and waking up married. Which meant no talking about where it had gone wrong the first time, they were just enjoying the few moments they had before he had to fly to Hawaii.

"He's already having issues with the marriage-thing cause Sam's after him to ask the admiral for her hand."Stone sighed softly as he shifted, laying on his back as he drew the dark haired blond into his side, pressing a kiss to her hair, as he tried to shove away the worry that even across the country his brother could inflict on him.

"Talk to him after the war games. It'll be less stressful by then I'll have a place for us in Oahu."Amanda said sighing as she closed her eyes, yawning as she settled in to nap before he had to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex Hopper sighed softly as he looked around the apartment. It was the first time in months that he'd been truly left on his own, or not on a ship somewhere. It was hard on him as the silence gave him time to think over what he was missing, what he would never get to say. Grabbing a beer from the fridge he sighed as he sat down on the couch, flipping on the tv with a careless glance at the screen that said he wasn't really interested in anything but the background noise that it offered.

Sam was off wedding shopping, which just made his head hurt, so he'd decided to stay home, but now that his thoughts were having time to settle, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. Even after 5 months the hole left by Stone's death was eating him alive. The idea that there should have been something, anything to stop his brother's death killed him. Even if he knew Stone, where ever he was, would never blame him, or want him to blame himself.

Starting a little at the doorbell he frowned as he rested his head back against the couch cushions before sighing as he levered himself up off the cushions and headed for the door. Pulling open the door he expected to find that Sam had forgotten her keys or something equally ridiculous, not the small blond that for the life of him, he knew he should know but couldn't place.

Amanda smiled a little as she looked up at her brother in law, swallowing hard. The woman felt like she'd been kicked. Even if the brother's weren't close in looks, there was a curve of his cheek, the dark blue of his eyes, that said this was Stone's brother, that some part of him still lived. And it was true, as long as Alex Hopper was among the living, Stone's fierce overprotectiveness and personality would still be alive in some way. Which was why she was there, even if the idea was making her sick to her stomach. She knew she was going to shock him, and on the heels of such a devastating loss, for them both, she didn't want to do it, but knew she had to.

"Amanda-"Amanda stuttered for a moment, almost introducing her as Amanda hopper, but she couldn't do that, it would just be to mean."Blake. you knew me as Amanda Blake."

"Stone's ex."Hopper said after a moment, feeling like lightening had struck as he looked at the woman. He remembered her now, his brother had been as devastated as he'd ever seen him in those months after she'd left him. And even if Stone had never said it, he was pretty sure he was looking at the reason Stone had never married, or even really tried dating after he joined. Tightening his grip on the doorknob he frowned at her for a moment, not wanting to let her in, not when she'd hurt Stone so badly, but neither could he convince himself to close the door in her face, because he could see Stone's look of disproval if he did.

"Yes….and no."Amanda said after a moment, glancing at Hopper's confused look, swallowing hard."Can I come in?We need to talk."she said looking more nervous with each passing moment.

Hopper stared at her for a long moment, before nodding. Stepping back he sighed softly, because he had a feeling whatever was coming, he wasn't going to be happy to hear it. Knowing deep in his heart that whatever could bring a woman Stone had loved to him, after Stone died, would be painful and devastating to them both.

Amanda smiled a little as she looked around the house, though it wasn't big, or something she would have thought Hopper would live in, to orderly, to spacious and calm, she felt stupid when she realized what it was. He'd moved into Stone's place. And she wondered if he planned on keeping it, or was between places. Moving to sit on the couch she watched him for a moment, shaking her head as he offered her a beer,"No, thanks. Water would be nice though."She added tilting her head.

Hopper smiled slightly as he walked to the kitchen again and poured her a glass of water, pausing in the doorway was he watched the woman sitting on his couch, watching her for a moment as she fidgeted. Moving into the living room he sat down across from her, looking curious."Amanda, what brings you here?" He said slowly, trying to ease into whatever had brought her here.

Amanda stared down at the glass in her hands, sighing softly."You know Stone came home for our class reunion right?"She said taking her time, because she was nervous about admitting it, because she knew Stone had died before he had a chance to tell Hopper. He'd said he'd wait till after the war games, and well…for Stone, there had been no after. That and she wasn't sure just how much the brothers kept each other informed, despite living so close. She knew the _John Paul Jones_ was stationed out of San Diego and the _Sampson_ had stayed in Oahu, but she didn't know just how close the two had stayed.

"Yea. Said he was going back east for two weeks, enjoy the break before the war games."Hopper said his features tightening a little at the idea, even if he knew he wouldn't have gotten to spend the time with Stone, looking back it would have been nice to been able to go home and visit his parents before their family fell apart.

Amanda nodded slightly, as she twisted her fingers together, a nervous habit that Hopper immediately remembered. Reaching across the coffee table, he gently took her hand in his, startling a little as he felt what was suspiciously close to a engagement ring and band."Amanda, what is it?"he said gently, knowing from the look on her face, whatever it was, she was scared to tell him.

"We got married. When he was home."She blurted out, far more blunt then she had meant to, before scrambling to fix it. "We hadn't meant to. We were drunk and ended up going to the chapel and…he wanted to tell you, he just didn't know how."she stuttered a little.

Hopper stared, not sure he was hearing right. His brother, impulsive?Drunk enough to get married without inviting anyone, or even dating her before hand? No, surely they were talking about another Stone Hopper. "What?Why didn't…"he said his voice going soft with hurt.

"because he didn't know how to explain this impulsiveness to you…he didn't want to admit to having a ''hopper' moment of pure feeling. You know how he i-was."Amanda winced as she corrected herself, even after all this time, she still expected to see him walking in the door.

"Why didn't you come to the funeral?Or the memorial?If..if you were his wife, you had more right to take the medal then me….You should have been there."Hopper said pain in his eyes as he realized that he hadn't done something for his brother. Even if he hadn't known about Amanda, it hurt to realize that he should have been looking after her for these past months, even if Stone hadn't told him there was someone to look out for if something happened.

"I…I didn't want to invade on your grief…."She flushed staring down at the floor, and their joined hands. She hadn't been able to face his grief, along with her own."You hadn't seen me in 16 years Hopper….I hadn't…I hadn't known how to approach and tell you, oh yea by the way, me and stone were married."

A slight smirk curled Hopper's lips as he studied his sister in law before getting up, and wrapping a arm around her shoulders."Well, you're doing a damned good job of why now?"He said looking at her, studying her face. He knew there had to be a reason she was reaching out, instead of letting them all remember Stone in their own ways, in their silent grief.

Amanda laughed a little at his words, smiling that small shy smile."I'm pregnant."She muttered, and it was the first time she'd said it since she found out, and the happiness and shock written on Hopper's face just made her smile more. Looking startled as the front door opened, looking at Sam's bewildered look she had to laugh, for the first time in months, really laughing.

"Sam!"Hopper grinned as he bounded to his feet, looking at his fiancée, "I'm going to be a uncle!and you're going to be a aunt!"He said happily, and her continued bewilderment just made the two laugh all the more. Their grief breaking in front of that much joy that Stone would still be with them in some small way.


	3. Chapter 3

Micah Hopper moved easily over the decks, with that swaying walk that said even before he'd joined the crew, he'd spent a lot of time on boats. Which wasn't overly surprising. His uncle was in the navy, his grandfather was, and most importantly the father he'd never had a chance to know, was. Shaking his head to clear the thought of the man he missed even if his uncle had been everything he could want in a father.

Leaning against the railing he leaned far enough over to look down, watching the propellers churn the water, which looked angry and dark, which matched his mood perfectly. He should be happier than this, it was the first day of the war games, and the first time he was participating. He really should be ecstatic over doing it. But the nervous feeling that tightened his stomach to the point that he wanted to double over and throw up, paying his toll to the lord of the deep. It was a sailor's tale, about the lord of the waters, but he was a navy man, and despite scoffing over it, he wasn't above believing that the ocean held her secrets still.

"You look like your about to be sick."

Micah started a little before relaxing, glancing at the blond man that had come to lean against the railing with him, before straightening and snapping out a quick salute to the navy commander. Studying the man as he casually set him at ease, Micah frowned slightly, there was something about this man, that he should know, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I am."Micah swallowed as he looked out across the pacific waters, somewhere out here, the wreckage of the _sampson_ was still under the flickering waves.

"Why?From what I understand you grew up on ships, around shouldn't be sea sick."The dark blond said his voice floating on the wind, sounding vaguely amused.

"Its not father died in the war games….I don't…like the thought of being out here."

"Then why are you?"

"Because my father would have wanted me to."

"I wouldn't want you to do anything you wouldn't want to."The commander's lips twitched in a half smile as he watched Micah stare out at the ocean, for a moment the words not sinking in."Nothing prepares you to face somewhere someone you loved died, but you have good men with 'll do fine."He moved away from the railing, turning to leave.

Micah turned his head to watch the man go, before his head caught up after a moment. _"I wouldn't want you to do anything you wouldn't want to._ Twisting around he stared after the man, watching the navy commander."Dad?"

Stone hopper smirked as he turned back to look at his son, "Fair winds and following seas, sailor."

Micah stared in stunned silence as his uncle Hopper walked towards them, for a moment the ghost of a man who they both missed standing between them. Then he was gone, as if he'd never existed. But the lighter feeling in Micah's chest said he had been.

"You okay?"

Micah smiled straightening, glancing towards the deck space where Stone had disappeared. "Yea, I think I am."


End file.
